This invention relates to a method and apparatus for periodically or regularly measuring the sensitivity, accuracy and effectiveness of shipboard combat vessel's electronic warfare (EW) suites, on a real time basis, at any location around the globe. More particularly, this invention relates to an airborne reactive threat simulator intended to be carried on aircraft and used to conclude the operational combat readiness of a vessel and/or to assist in the EW operational training of shipboard personnel.
Since the advent of shipboard EW equipment, a means of testing the operational readiness and effectiveness of the equipment has been a prime concern. The testing of a modern EW suite requires the utilization of a device which transmits radio frequency (RF) signatures which emulate the threat of interest, mimics the emulated threat's modes of operation (e.g., search, acquisition, track., memory), can track or home on the target (e.g., host ship) in angle and range, and has the capability to record both external (e.g., jamming signals, target return) and internal (e.g., radar parameters) information. Until now, the capability to perform these functions has been limited to assets designed for use on land based aircraft during tests normally conducted within the limits of U.S. territorial waters (e.g., Army/Navy Designation AN/ALQ-170). Conclusions drawn from these exercises are made during analysis of the resultant test data at shore based facilities, and subsequently transmitted to the affected vessel after it is on-line in potentially hostile waters. These prior art systems are large and heavy, and therefore are not well suited to be carried by a carrier based aircraft. Unfortunately, until now, no workable apparatus or methodology designed specifically for accomplishing this process within the deployed fleet/battlegroup has been perfected.